Eugenia Millender
Eugenia Flores Millender, Ph.D., RN, PMH-APRN, FAAN, has dedicated her career to improving access to integrated mental health services and advancing community-engaged research. She is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Center of Population Sciences for Health Equity, Assistant Dean of Research, and a tenured Professor at Florida State University (FSU) College of Nursing. Dr. Millender's background as a scientist, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, and bilingual first-generation immigrant significantly shapes her research, which is focused on reducing gaps in mental health care.
Her research program examines how sociocultural stressors, trauma, and discrimination contribute to long-term psychological and physical health challenges. By investigating the intersection of these complex factors in vulnerable populations both within the U.S. and abroad, her work aims to generate critical insights and foster significant improvements in mental health outcomes, ultimately enhancing the well-being of underserved communities globally. She works to unite academic and community partners in research, ensuring that both perspectives contribute equally to meaningful change.
Before joining FSU, Dr. Millender was the founder and inaugural director of the Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Nurse-led community health center. This was Florida's first nurse-led university health center to achieve Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike status, as designated by the United States Health Resources and Services Administration.
As a community-based researcher, Dr. Millender has secured over $26 million in extramural funding as principal investigator and co-investigator to address health challenges in underserved populations. Internationally, she collaborates with the Institute of Scientific Research and High Technology Services of Panama (INDICASAT) and the Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas in Panama, among other global institutions. Her leadership extends across countries, co-leading transformative research in the U.S., Panama, Madagascar, Brazil, and Mexico, to advance global mental health solutions.
Dr. Millender is a distinguished 2023 Presidential Leadership Scholar fellow, a prestigious program affiliated with the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. This fellowship brings together influential leaders committed to addressing global and domestic challenges and learning advanced problem-solving strategies from former U.S. presidents. Dr. Millender’s expertise is also grounded in her six years of service in the U.S. Army and her academic achievements, which include a BSN, MS, and Ph.D. from Florida Atlantic University. She holds post-graduate certifications in psychiatric and mental health nursing from Rush University, precision medicine from the University of Florida, executive leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Business School, and AI in healthcare from the Harvard Medical School executive program. Her extensive education and leadership experience equip her to drive innovation and transformation in mental health and healthcare.
Research Areas
Stress, Trauma, Mood Disorder, Mental Health Disparities, Socio-Cultural Determinants of Health and the Intersectionality of Ethnicity, Race, Gender, and Mental Health Disparities
Florida Atlantic University PhD
Graduate Certificate, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Rush University MS
Florida Atlantic University BSN
Florida Atlantic University
1. Gabster, A., Diaz Fernández, F., Pascale, J. M., Orillac, A., Moreno-Wynter, S., Xavier Hall, C. D., Millender, A. F., Wong, F. Y., Jhangimal, M., Yu-Pon, A., Rodríguez-Vargas, C., Arjona-Miranda, D., Henostroza, G., & Araúz, A. B. (in press). Factors associated with self-reported suboptimal antiretroviral adherence and limited retention in care among people living with HIV who attend a large ART clinic in Panama City, Panama. PLOS ONE.
2. Rangel, G. A., Tratner, A. E., Oviedo, D. C., Villarreal, A. E., Carreira, M. B., Rodriguez-Araña, S., Millender, E. F., Xavier Hall, C. D., Young, F. Y., O’Bryant, S. E., & Britton, G.
B. (in press). Depression and plasma pTau181 levels are associated with frailty status in Hispanic (Panama) community-dwelling older women. Gerontol Geriatr Med.
3. Xavier Hall, C., Okantey, B., Meng, Z., Sabuncu, C., Lane, B., Millender, E. I., Queiroz, A. A. F. L. N., Kim, J., Okada, L., Gillepsie, A., Simoncin, G., Barile, J., Ma, G., & Wong, F. (in press). Examining bio-psycho-social predictors of risk for cognitive impairment among a racially diverse sample of men who have sex with men living with HIV. Therapeutic Advances in Infectious Disease.
4. Radey, M., Wu, Q., McWey, L., & Millender, E. I. (in press). Instrumental safety net configurations and changes over time among low-income, vulnerable families. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.
5. Gabster, A., Xavier Hall, C. D., Yi, A., Millender, E., Wong, F. Y., & Pascale, J. (2023). Dating violence prevalence and risk factors among adolescents (14-19 years) in urban settings in Panama. Lancet Regional – Americas. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4104375
6. Li, C., Liu, T., Zhang, R., Millender, E. I., Miao, H., Ormsbee, M., Conley, Y., Westbrook, A., Yang, P., Wang, J., & Kelly, T. (2023). The impact of polygenic score on cognitive function decline considering baseline cognitive function, lifestyle behaviors, and diabetes among middle-aged and older U.S. adults. Alzheimer's Research & Therapy, 15(196), 1-10.
7. Erausquin, J. T., Sánchez, J., Pon, A. Y., Jhangimal, M., Millender, E. I., Peña, Y., Ng, W., Reina, A., Nakad, C., Quintana, J., Herrera, R., Vistica, G., Pinzón-Espinosa, J., Cabezas-Talavero, G., Katz, J., Pascale, J. M., Rodríguez, F., & Gabster, A. (2022). Sexual and reproductive health and access: Results of a rapid epidemiological assessment among migrant peoples in transit through Darién, Panamá. Frontiers in Reproductive Health, 4(953979), 1-10.
8. Millender, E. I., Harris, R. M., Barneris, J., Marks, L., Barcelona, V., Wong, F., Crusto, C., & Taylor, J. Y. (2022). The cumulative influence of perceived discrimination, stress, and coping responses on symptoms of depression among young African American mothers. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (JAPNA), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F10783903221105281
9. Agudelo-Higuitaa, N., Antonio Suarezb, J., Millender, E. I., Garcia-Creightonf, E., Corbisierof, M. F., Freitesg, C. O., Henao Corderoh, J., Kousari, A., Unterborn, R., Marcos, L. A., Henao-Martínez, A. F., Meng, M., Alvarado, Y. W., Nicholls, S. B., Sanchez, J., Rincο, T., Viquez, D., Owen, D., Pascale, J. M., & Gabster, A. (2022). U.S. bound journey of migrant peoples in transit across Dante's inferno (Panama) and purgatory in the Americas. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 47, 102317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2022.102317
10. Joiner, T. E., Robison, M., Robertson, L., Keel, P., Daurio, A. M., Mehra, L. M., & Millender, E. (2022). Ethnoracial status, intersectionality with gender, and psychotherapy utilization, retention, and outcomes. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000726
11. Millender, E. I., Barile, J. P., Barneris, J., Harris, R. M., De Faria, L., Wong, F., Crusto, C. A., & Taylor, J. (2021). Associations between social determinants of health, perceived discrimination, and body mass index on symptoms of depression among young African American mothers. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 35(1), 94-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2020.09.014
12. Millender, E. & Dunphy, L. (2019). Anxiety, stress, and trauma-related disorders. In L. M. Dunphy, J. E. Winland-Brown, D. E. Thomas, & B. Porter (Eds.), Primary care: The art and science of advanced practice nursing (5th ed., pp. 1129–1152). FA Davis Co.
13. Lowe, J., Wagner, E., Morris, S. L., Thompson, M., Sawant, M., Kelley, M., & Millender, E. (2019). Utility of the Native-Reliance Theoretical Framework, Model, and Questionnaire. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 26(2).
14. Wimbish-Cirilo, R., Lowe, J., & Millender, E. (2020). The impact of a substance use intervention among urban Native American youth. Genealogy, 4(3), 79.
Millender, E., Valentine, K., Eggenberger, T., Lucier, C., Sandala, H., & Bruneau, D. (2020). Implementing interprofessional collaboration to improve patient outcomes: A caring and social approach to integrated nurse-led community-based care. American Journal of Nursing, 24(1), 39-49. https://doi.org/10.20467/1091-5710.24.1.39
15. Millender, E. & Lowe, J. (2017). Cumulative trauma among Mayas living in Southeast Florida. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 19, 598–605. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0337-3
R01DA059240-01A1
Xavier Hall (Contact PI); Role: MPI
Characterizing Intersectional Geospatial Stigma and Affirmation Landscapes and Their Influences on Black and Latino Bisexual Men at Risk for Substance Abuse and HIV
2024-2029
1H79SM087909
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services.
Layman (PI); Role: Co-I and FSU subcontract PI
Project BRAVE (Building Resilience and Accessibility for Vulnerable populations Ensuring
Equity
2024-2029
3U01FD007976-02S1 (FDA Innovation Award: Minority Health and Health Equity)
Millender (Contact PI) Elevating Community Voices by Developing a User-centered Approach to Enable Self-testing and Remote Data Collection among Under-represented Populations (Project Elevate)
2024-2025
1U01FD007976-01 (FDA Innovation Award: Minority Health and Health Equity)
Millender (Contact PI) Elevating Community Voices by Developing a User-centered Approach to Enable Self-testing and Remote Data Collection among Under-represented Populations (Project Elevate)
2023-2025
6H79SM080386-05M003
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services.
Millender, Eugenia Isabel (Contact PI/consultant).
Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association: Increasing the Behavioral Health Nurse Workforce.
Dec 2023–Sep 2024
N/A, Quantum Foundation
Millender (Contact PI)
Beyond Shelters: Developing a Holistic and Integrated Team Approach to Mitigate Healthcare Crisis for Recently Homeless and Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) families in Palm Beach County (PBC)
2022-2024
1U01FD007784-01 (Innovation Award: Minority Health and Health Equity)
Xavier Hall (Contact PI); Role: MPI
Identifying Opportunities for Improving Equity in Vaccine Trial Engagement among Sexual and Gender Minority LatinX Communities Through an Explanatory Mixed-methods Design (Palm Beach County)
2022-2024 (NCE)
1U54CA267730-01
Wong (Contact PI); Role: MPI and Faculty Core Lead
Fostering Institutional Resources for Science Transformation: The FLORIDA-FIRST Health-science Brigade
2021-2026
2UL1TR001427-05
Mitchell (PI); Role: FSU Advisory Board member and Community Engagement Leadership team The UF-FSU Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA)
2019-2024
NIH Loan Repayment Program (NHLBI)
Millender (PI).
Impact of Stress, Depression, Coping, and DNA Methylation on Blood Pressure Among African American Women
2020-2024